Key for keyboard calculating-machines.



D. E. FELT.

KEY FOB. KEYBOARD CALCULATING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED APR.4,1910.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

D. E. FELT.

KEY FOR KEYBOARD CALCULATING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.4,1910.

982,416. Patented Jan.24,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

minas 66 Irv/5w florr E. 126i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DORE E. FELT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KEY FOR KEYBOARD CALCULATING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

Application filed April 4, 1910. Serial No. 553,364.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Donn FELT, a citizen of the United States, residingjn-Chipressing adjacent keys with the key he wishes to operate.

To avoid mistakes of this kind has been my object in this invention, and to this end I provide the keys with locking mechanism which can only be released by pressing upon the center of the keys. The releasing devices are so located that they are depressed necessarily when thefinger presses properly on the center of the key, but they are not depressed when the operator presses on the margin of the key instead of the center. In

the leased and cannot be operated. I

The nature of my invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing and also described below, and in said drawing Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal vertical section of a comptometer having my pres ent improvement. Fig. 2 is a section on the 'line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a to view of the key. Figs. 4 and 5 are ,vertica views of portions of themechanism and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the1ine6-6 of Fig. 2.

I have shown the invention as applied to a comptometer constructed in accordance with the invention disclosed in my pending application 1908. I

In said drawing, 7 representsone of the series of segment levers adapted to be de pressed by the series of keys 8 belonging to the same denomination as the lever. The

No. 453271 filed September 16,

' lever shown operates a pinion 9, and through the intermediate inion 10 the motion of pinion'9 is transmitted to the numeral wheel v 11in the customary way. The stems of the,

atter case, of course, the key is not re-,

12 by which they are returned to normal position after each actuation.

At 13 is one of a series oflongitudinal bars, supporting a series of pivot rodsli extending transversely of the machine and supporting the rocking key locking devices 15, of which latter there is one for each key. These key locking deviceswill be understood from Fig. 4 and they are provided with wings 16 at the bottom having openings through which the rods '14 may pass, with sloping shoulders 17 at the top whereby they are caused to, swing to release the keys,

and with straight faced shoulders 18 whereby they lock the keys. To operate the devices 15, I provide the key with a centrally located releasing device which when it is depressed with the keynecessarily operates the device 15 and effects the release of the- I key, but which is'not depressed with the key unless the pressure from the finger of the operator comes directly on the releasing device. ,This releasing. device consists of tube 19 placed between the limbs of the forked top 20 of the key stem and capable of a limited sliding movement independent of the forked top, a button 21 loosely fitting an opening formed in the top of the key and having a stem 22 depending therefrom, and a spring 23 in the tube and confined in it by the cross .pin 24 at the top and by the crotch 25 of the forked key stem at the bottom. The pin 24 passes through the stem 22 and its ends are extended under the bottom of the keytop 27 so that the button cannot be forced upward by the spring beyond its normal position, and the tube 19 locking device and effect the immediate release of the key so that the movement of the key which immediately follows will be unobstructed. But if the operator should fail thus to depress the button 21, his pressure on the margin of thekey will simply cause ating or controlling its action.

The locking devices are each provided with springs 16? attached at one end to the wing 16 and at the other end to the bars 13 as shown, and such springs serve "to keep the locking devices in normal position.

I claim 1. The combination in the keyboard of a calculating or other machine, of a series of keys, a series of locking devices, one for each key, whereby the keys are normally locked, and means within each key whereby it will be released when struck.

2. The combination in the ke board of a calculating or other machine, 0 a series of keys, and a-series of-locking devices one for each key, whereby the keys are normally locked, and means for releasing the keys actuated by pressure on the top of the ke s.

3. The combination in the keyboard 0 a calculating or other machine, of a series of keys, and a series of locking devices one for each, key, whereby the keys are normally locked, and means for releasing the keys actuated by the pressure of the finger in the act of depressing the keys.

4. The combination in the keyboard of. a

calculating or other machine, of a series of normally locked keys and a series of locking devices, one for each key, and devicesfor releasing said locking devices, the last named devices being operable by pressure on the tops of the keys.

5. The combination in the ke board of a calculating or other machine, 0 a series of normally locked keys, and a series of lock ing devicespone for each key, and devices for re easing said locking devices, the last named devices being located in the centers of the keys and accessible at the tops thereof.

6. The combination in the keyboard of a calculating or other machine, of a series of normally locked keys and their locking devices, each of said keys being provided with means whereby when properly struck at the center will cause its release.

7. In a keyboard, a finger key made in two parts, bot-h adapted to be depressed b the nger when actuating the key, one 0 said parts being movable with respect to the other part and its actuation being necessary to the operation of thekey, whereby danger of the accidental actuation of a wron key with the one struck is largely. prevented.

8. In a keyboard, a finger key made in two parts, both adapted to be depressed by the finger when actuating'the key, one of said parts being located at the center of the key top and being movable with respect to the other part and itsactuation being necessary to the operation of the key, whereby danger of the accidental actuation of a wrong key with the one struck is largely prevented.

v DORR E. FELT.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. Gnrorn, Enw. S. Evans. 

